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Genius & GZA Lyrics
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When you fake moves on a nigga you employ
We'll all emerge off your set, now you know God damn
I show living large niggas how to flip a def jam
And rough up the motherfuckin' house cause I smother
You cold chillin' motherfuckers, I still warn a brother
I'm ruthless my clan don't have to act wild
That shit is jive, an old sleeping bag profile
On the reel to reel it wasn't from a tough city
Niggas be game, thinking that they lyrical surgeons
They know they microphone's a virgin
And if you ain't boned a mic you couldn't hurt a bee
That's like going to Venus driving a mercury
The capitol of this rugged slang is Wu-Tang
Witty unpredictable talent and natural game
I death row an mc with mic cables
The epic is that I rush associated labels
From east west to atco, I bring it to a next plateau
But I keep it phat though, yo
I'm hitting batters up with the wild pitch style
I even show an Uptown MC a style
Who thought he saw me on 4th & Broadway
But I was out on the island, bombing MC's all day
My priority is that I'm first priority
I bone the secret out a bitch in a sorority
So look out for A&M, the Abbot and the Master
Breaking down your pendulum
As I fiend MC's out with a blow that'll numb the
Appendix, I'm holding more more weight than Colombia
Index Interscope, we RCA, clan
That's coming with a plan to free a
Slave of a mental death MC don't panic
Throw that A&R nigga off the boat in the Atlantic
Now who's the bad boy character, not from Arista
But firing weapons released on Geffen
So duck as I struck with the soul of Motown
My central broadcasting systems is low down
And dirty, like that bastard
It's getting drastic
In the song Labels by Genius and GZA, the artists express frustration with being categorized and labeled by the music industry. The lyrics talk about how record labels try to control artists, make them conform to certain expectations, and exploit them for profit. The artists assert their independence and reject the notion that they can be easily defined or contained by labels.
The lyrics reference various record labels, from Def Jam to Geffen, and criticize the tactics they use to manipulate and exploit artists. The artists also make references to their own clan, Wu-Tang, and assert their superiority over other rappers who are seen as less authentic or skilled.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the music industry and the difficulties artists face in maintaining their autonomy and creativity. It highlights the tensions between commerce and art in the commercial music world, and the ways in which artists must navigate these tensions to maintain their integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tommy ain't my motherfuckin' boy
Tommy is not my friend
When you fake moves on a nigga you employ
If you make false moves on someone, you're only fooling yourself
We'll all emerge off your set, now you know God damn
We will all come out and do our own thing, now you understand
I show living large niggas how to flip a def jam
I teach rich rappers how to make a great album
And rough up the motherfuckin' house cause I smother
I destroy everything in my way
You cold chillin' motherfuckers, I still warn a brother
You calm rappers should still be careful
I'm ruthless my clan don't have to act wild
I'm tough, my group doesn't need to be aggressive
That shit is jive, an old sleeping bag profile
That's nonsense, an outdated style
The soft comedian rap shit ain't the rough witty
Funny and gentle rap is not the same as tough and clever rap
On the reel to reel it wasn't from a tough city
Even though it sounds like it's from a hard city, it actually isn't
Niggas be game, thinking that they lyrical surgeons
Rappers think they are great lyrics writers
They know they microphone's a virgin
They know they are not experienced rappers
And if you ain't boned a mic you couldn't hurt a bee
If you haven't had experience with a microphone, you can't be a good rapper
That's like going to Venus driving a mercury
That's like going to a place where you don't belong
The capitol of this rugged slang is Wu-Tang
The center of this tough language is Wu-Tang
Witty unpredictable talent and natural game
Clever, unpredictable, talented and natural ability
I death row an mc with mic cables
I defeat a rapper with microphone cables as if executing them on death row
The epic is that I rush associated labels
My greatness is that I make all labels excited to work with me
From east west to atco, I bring it to a next plateau
From one coast to another, I take my music to the next level
But I keep it phat though, yo
But I still keep it cool
I'm hitting batters up with the wild pitch style
I'm impressing people with my unique style
I even show an Uptown MC a style
I even teach rappers from richer areas how to make good music
Who thought he saw me on 4th & Broadway
Who thought he saw me in the city
But I was out on the island, bombing MC's all day
But I was out somewhere else destroying rappers all day
My priority is that I'm first priority
My main concern is myself and making sure I'm number one
I bone the secret out a bitch in a sorority
I have sex with a woman in a college society and learn their secrets
So look out for A&M, the Abbot and the Master
Be aware of the A&M record label and the Wu-Tang leaders
Breaking down your pendulum
Destroying your rhythm and flow
As I fiend MC's out with a blow that'll numb the
As I outperform rappers with strong rhymes
Appendix, I'm holding more more weight than Colombia
I have more power than the country of Colombia
Index Interscope, we RCA, clan
Our group is associated with Interscope and RCA record labels
That's coming with a plan to free a
We have a plan to liberate
Slave of a mental death MC don't panic
A rapper who is a slave to their own mind don't need to worry
Throw that A&R nigga off the boat in the Atlantic
Get rid of that record label executive in the ocean
Now who's the bad boy character, not from Arista
Who's the tough guy now, not associated with the Arista record label
But firing weapons released on Geffen
But releasing great music on the Geffen record label
So duck as I struck with the soul of Motown
Be ready as I attack with the spirit of Motown music
My central broadcasting systems is low down
My way of spreading my message is unrefined
And dirty, like that bastard
And unclean, like that unpleasant person
It's getting drastic
Things are getting serious
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY E. GRICE, ROBERT F. DIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind